


Prom night

by BraixenBoy17



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Dipper Pines Has Panic Attacks, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-28
Updated: 2016-04-28
Packaged: 2018-06-05 02:30:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6685651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BraixenBoy17/pseuds/BraixenBoy17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dipper offers to take Pacifica to her prom. Fluff with some Angst thrown in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Prom night

Pacifica walked around Gravity Falls high school, alone, which she'd come to expect now that it was well published that her family had lost it's fortune, all of the people she used to hang around with now avoid her like the plague. She approached a tall red headed boy, wearing a red flannel shirt. 

"Hi Alex, I was just wondering if you had a date to the prom yet?" Pacifica asked, Alex turned around and looked at Pacifica, sneering at her. 

"You're asking me to go with you?" He scoffed 

"Well umm... Yea-" Pacifica began before 

"No! Look at you, maybe once upon a time we could have gone, not now though, not since...." Alex stated coldly, turning away and walking off. Pacifica stood there humiliated and on the verge of tears as she watched Alex and his friends walk off laughing. 

"Was I really like that?" She asked herself, taking herself off to sit down on a bench, she pulled out her phone and opened her contact list, she scrolled down until she found the name she was looking for- Mabel Pines. She stared at the name for a moment before scrolling back up to Dipper Pines entry in her phone. 

'Dipper?   
I'm in trouble and I don't know who else to turn to  
Please can you call me when you can? X' 

Pacifica put her phone back in her pocket but pulled it back out when it started to vibrate immediately, she checked the caller I.D and smiled when she saw it was Dipper. 

"Hey Dipper" 

"Hiya, what's up?"

"Nothing, I've just been doing some thinking and I just really wanted to apologise for the way I acted when we first met in your first summer in Gravity Falls"

"Oh? What's brought this on?" 

"I-I... I gotta go" Pacifica stated, bursting into tears before hanging up on Dipper before he could answer. 

Dipper looked down at his phone, unsure of exactly what just happened. He didn't have time to try and call her back as he spotted Mabel walking over towards him

"Hey bro bro, what's up?" Mabel asked, sitting down next to him at his lunch table 

"I just got a phone call from Pacifica."

"Pacifica? As in North West?" 

"Well how many other Pacifica's do we know?" 

"Oh yeah, hehe. What did she want?" 

"She said she wanted to apologise for the way she acted when we first went to Gravity Falls" 

"Really? That was years ago, I thought we were cool now" 

"So did I but she sounded really upset, I think she was crying as she hung up" 

"Must be something bad, why don't you try talking to her after school?" 

"Yeah, hope she's okay..." Dipper sighed 

Dipper got home and after briefly talking to his parents about his day at school he rushed off upstairs and opened his laptop, he opened the Skype app and messaged Pacifica to video call him when she was online. 

Pacifica trudged home slowly, away from Gravity Falls high school, walking past a group of her former friends, he went to say hi but stopped herself, knowing that they'd just blank her now. She looked down to the ground and her lip quivered

'Was I really that awful?' She thought to herself, recalling her younger years, her first interactions with the Pines twins 

'Oh my god... I was terrible' she cried out in her mind. She pulled out her phone and saw the notification from Skype- 

'Hey Paz, vid call me when you get this, Dip' 

Pacifica smiled as she read the message, picking up her pace to make it home faster. 

"Hello?" She called out as she entered the small apartment, nobody replied causing Pacifica to let out a small sigh of relief, she wasn't really in the mood to deal with her parents right now. She made her way through the apartment to her bedroom, she flopped down on her bed and opened her laptop, logged into Skype and video called Dipper, quickly tidying her hair. 

"Hello?" 

"Hiya Paz" 

"Hi Dipper" 

"You okay?" 

"Do I have to answer?" 

"Yes you do, now tell me what's wrong?" 

"I've just been thinking a lot lately" 

About?"

"How awful I was to you and Mabel when you first came to Gravity Falls" 

"Paz, you apologised for that years ago, we're cool now"

"I know but ever since we lost our mansion and everything else, all of my friends have just been so awful to me, and I just feel so horrible that that's what I used to be like" Pacifica admitted.

"Awful how?

"Just awful" Pacifica repeated, begining to sob quietly

"Paz?" 

"I'm so ashamed of who I am, still after all these years, I'm still just a link in the worlds worst chain, After losing everything with my parents, I've lost everybody who I thought was my friend... I just dunno what's going on any more.... And the most pathetic part of it is... This is only about prom night" Pacifica cried 

"HEY! Pacifica Northwest! Look at me! When I said that, I was wrong, you proved me wrong, you changed, you grew up. You're a better person than your friends, you're better than your parents" Dipper stated. Pacifica wiped her eyes and gave him a small smile

"Dipper... You're one of my truest friends" Pacifica told him

"Pacifica..." 

"Yeah?" 

"Wanna go to the prom with me?" Dipper asked 

"What?" 

"Do you wanna go to the prom with me?" Dipper repeated 

"You're joking right? You'd seriously come all the way up to Gravity Falls just to go to the prom with me?" 

"Yeah. I would, Pacifica" 

"But why?"

"Because it sounds like you could really do with something to look forward too" Dipper answered, Pacifica saw the warm smile over her webcam and couldn't help but return it, she felt a rush of warm affection towards the messy haired boy sat hundreds of miles away over the state line 

"Thank you" Pacifica replied, true gratitude in her voice, she'd never had anyone be this nice to her without expecting something back in return, 

'So this is what it must feel like to have a real friend' Pacifica smiled inwardly, 

"No worries, sorry, I gotta go, I'm being called for dinner. I'll call you later to sort out me coming up okay?" 

"Okay, talk to you later" 

"Bye" 

"Love you" Pacifica whispered softly before she knew what she had said. Dipper's eyes widened in shock

"What was that?" He asked her, hoping that she'd be brave enough to repeat what she had whispered 

"I called you a loser" Pacifica lied, panicking, knowing full well that Dipper had heard what she said

"Okay" Dipper laughed as he hung up and shut Skype off. 

Pacifica threw her hands over her face and let out a loud moan. 

"Oh god! Why did I just say that?" Pacifica cursed herself. She dramatically threw herself onto her bed, reaching under her pillow she quickly found what she was searching for, a picture taken a few years ago now on Dipper and Mabel's thirteenth birthday- the first birthday they spent in Gravity Falls. Mabel had suddenly grabbed hold of Pacifica, yelling at her to smile as she snapped a 'selfie' with her, Pacifica and Dipper before forcing the blonde and Dipper to pose for their own photos. She pulled those out from under her pillow also, smiling down at the images due to the memories they invoke. Ever since that day she, Dipper and Mabel had become very close friends, especially her and Dipper. Now here he was, offering to accompany her to her prom. She had feared for a little while that her feelings for Dipper were growing out of friendship and into something more. 

Dipper sat there for a moment as a smile appeared on his face, before the horror of what she said dawned on him. He was no good for her and he knew it. He was a total mess. 

"She could do so much better than me" he whispered to himself. He was snapped out of his thoughts by a knock on his bedroom door. 

"Dipper?" Mabel called out, as she opened his bedroom door

"Hey, what's up?" 

"Mom says dinner is ready" 

"Oh, okay" 

"You okay broseph?" 

"Yeah.. Fine, why?" 

"Dunno, did you speak to Paz again?

"Yeah, I did" 

"How'd it go?" 

"I'm going back to Gravity Falls" 

"You are?" 

"Yeah, I'm going to prom with Pacifica" 

"Oh my god! Aww! Tha't awesome" Mabel beamed, rushing over and throwing her arms around her brother's neck, Dipper wriggled free of his sister's grip 

"It's not like that, we're only friends. That's it" Dipper admitted, a hint of bitterness in his voice, hoping that Mabel hadn't noticed it, he looked up at her and noticed she was about to reply 

"Come on, let's get down for dinner" Dipper suggested. 

Dipper lay back on his bed, one hand resting underneath his head and the other pulling his phone out from his pocket. He scrolled down his contact list until he found Pacifica's entry, he clicked on her name. He took a deep breath and pressed the call button. 

"Hello?" 

"Hey Paz" 

"Oh hey, Dipper" 

"How you feeling?" 

"Bit better now, you?" 

"Good, Mabel knows about me coming up now" Dipper told her, skipping over her return question

"She does?" 

"Yeah" 

"What does she think?" 

"I think she thinks we're gonna start dating" Dipper admitted.

Pacifica was so glad they were no longer able to see each other because she had gone bright red.

"Well, would that be such a bad thing?" Pacifica asked, her heart in her mouth as she waited for DIpper's reply. 

"I... Errr... Umm... No it wouldn't be" Dipper admitted, his cheeks quickly turning a light shade of pink. 

"Anyway, I've spoken to Soos and he says I can stay at the Shack while I'm up" 

"Okay, but what are you gonna tell your school?" 

"I'll just tell them that I need a few personal days" Dipper answered

"Personal days?" 

"Yeah, I'll explain when I see you"

"Okay" 

"So I'll be coming up on the Friday, I'll meet you at the Shack and then we can go off to prom together, sound good?" 

"Sounds great, right I gotta go now, I'll see you on Friday then, Bye" 

"See ya soon" 

Dipper stepped off of the bus into the early morning sunshine of Gravity Falls, Oregon. He shielded the sun from his eyes as he pulled his bag up onto his shoulder, smiling as he looked around at the little town he and his sister once called thier home. His old friends, his family. Once a year he and Mabel would come up and stay for the summer ever since they were twelve years old, he had never told his parents or any of his friends back in California about their very first summer in Gravity Falls. He was back at the place where his new life had begun. 

"DUDE" Soos' overly enthusiastic greeting snapped Dipper out of his thoughts and back to reality. Dipper looked up at his friend making his way over to where he stood, blinking out the morning sunlight from his eyes. 

"Hey Soos, Melody" Dipper smiled warmly at the pair. 

"How was your journey up Dipper?" Melody asked, politely making conversation

"It went by pretty quickly" Dipper answered honestly, it had been nearly a year since he last saw Soos and Melody, letting out a small sigh of relief that things weren't as awkward as he imagined them to be considering he'd never really spoken to Melody that much before, he glanced over as Soos interlocked his fingers in hers. He smiled inwardly at his friend's happiness, Soos deserved someone like Melody, they were perfect for each other, Dipper thought to himself. 

"Ready to go man?" Soos asked

"Yep, I'm all set when you are" Dipper replied, hitching his bag up more comfortably on his shoulder. He followed Soos and Melody over to their car, pulling out his phone to let Pacifica know that he had arrivied safely and would see her in a little while. 

Dipper step foot inside the gift shop of the Mystery Shack, noting that it hadn't changed that much over the years since he and Mabel first stepped foot in the famous tourist trap. He turned around to face Soos and Melody, slightly tilting his head up to look at Soos, growth spurts had been kind to him over his teenage years. 

"Thanks again for letting me stay here, I really appreciate it" Dipper smiled gratefully at his hosts. 

"Don't mention it, any friend of Soos' is a friend of mine" Melody replied warmly

"Dude, I told you years ago, we're family. I got your back" Soos told him. 

"Is it alright if I drop my bags off upstairs and then walk around the forrest for a while?" Dipper asked, he was greeted by a pair of nods approving his request, thanking them again before rushing off to the attic of the house. He dropped his bags down and looked around his and Mabel's former bedroom, he could still see the blue tak stains that had once held up Mabel's Sev'ral TImez posters above her bed, his eyes were drawn to the floor because glistening like stars where the sunlight caught them where tiny lumps of long forgotten glitter from one of Mabel's many crazy sweater designs. He smiled to himself as the memories flooded back into his mind. He moved his bags over to his bed, took out his suit for prom and hung it up ready for later that night. 

He strode out into the forrest that surrounded The Mystery Shack, pulling out his phone and opening a note he'd kept saved for a few years, afraid to ever follow the instructions sent to him, telling him to follow the co-ordinates sent to him, 

"Hell if it wasn't Wendy who sent me this I wouldn't be doing this" He whispered to himself. Swallowing the lump in his throat and instinctively reaching out for Mabel's hand before remembering she wasn't with him for once. He made his way deeper into the forrest. 

Pacifica yawned and stretched, waking from her deep sleep, shielding her eyes from the bright sun that was streaming through her curtains. She picked her phone up and saw she had a message from Dipper. 

"Hey Paci, just thought I'd let you know I've arrived safe and sound and I'll see you later, Dipper. X" Sent at 8:20am, she checked her watch and gasped when she saw it was already 10:45am. She quickly replied

"Sorry Dip, I was asleep, you should have called me! Let me shower quick then I'll come over to the Mystery Shack and we can hang out. Xx" sending it before frantically stripping off, grabbing a towel and rushing off towards the bathroom in what seemed like one quick motion. 

Dipper opened the text and read it a few times before composing a reply

"Sure thing, I'm just in the forrest right now, just having a bit of a wander, see you at the Shack? Xx" He closed the message down and continued on his way. He finally found what he was looking for. Sat in front of him, half burried in the overgrowing weeds and plants was a familiar face staring back at him. Bill Cipher, but not as he remembered him. No longer was he the vivid yellow and black that to this day still haunted him, but now a concrete grey, it was a statue.... Of Bill... Dipper was hypnotised, sitting down opposite it, crossing his legs underneath him. 

"Why are you here? Is this somebodies idea of a joke? Or is this a warning of some kind?" Dipper asked, curiosity lining every inch of his face, before his expression hardened.

"Well it doesn't matter what you're doing here or if you're coming back. Cause I'll stop you again, and again, and again." Dipper spat out defiantly, as if the statue could hear his words. 

"Well I know I can't do it on my own, but I know I wouldn't be alone if you came back. You didn't win then and you won't win if you do come back. We'll always be here to stop you." Dipper stopped talking for a moment, half expecting a reply or some sort of sign that he was being listened too, and when one didn't arrive, he glanced around him, making sure there was nobody else around, he leaned in closer and softened his tone and whispered

"You know, there are times when I sometimes think you have won. Times when I can't even close my eyes, let alone sleep cause all I can see is you and all the destructive things I've seen you do. For some strange and sick reason I don't think I even want to forget you. For all the evil shit you did. You made me who I am now. I dunno but somehow I don't think this is the end for us, it's like we're destined to be.... Whatever this is. We're bound to each other. But no matter what happens, how far things go, just remember this... I promise you this... I will always find a way to stop you... With my friends and family or without them. Even in my weakest moments I'll never let you truly beat me. I guess what I'm saying is... See you soon Cipher" 

Dipper had just returned from his walk into the forrest, feeling a lot better than he had been, when he heard his name being yelled out from behind him. He turned around in time to see Pacifica running towards him, he platinum blonde hair tied up in a practical pony tail, sweat drenching her baggy purple shirt. Dipper glanced down quickly and almost choked on the sight... The ever fashion forward Pacifica Northwest was grey sweatpants, dumping her bag off of her shoulder and digging through it until she found what she was looking for, a bottle of water, chugging it down in one before throwing it back into her bag and standing up again, looking up at Dipper 

"Sorry about that" she apologised smiling slightly, 

"What was all that about?" Dipper asked her, trying not to laugh. 

"I told you ages ago... I was made to join the school track team" Pacifica reminded him

"Yeah, made too, I didn't think you'd still be at it" Dipper replied

"You can shut up now... But I kinda enjoyed it, so I kept it up and took it up outside of school so I just ran over a it's a decent   
distance and I could use it as training hehe" 

"Oh wow" Dipper's eyes widened in shock, he knew of course from talking on Skype and texting so often that they had both changed but now he was seeing it in the flesh for the first time. Gone was the snobby little rich girl who wanted nothing more than to torment Dipper, now stood in front of him was his friend, even in appearance she was totally different to how Dipper had remembered her, there was no longer the sneer, pre puberty puppy fat and the cutting sarcastic remarks, now there was a slim and toned body with a warm and inviting smile. 

"Anyway, how are you? How was the journey up?" Pacifica asked, trying to change the subject while blushingly slightly

"I'm... Good, and it was alright, better now I'm back here" Dipper smiled at her, she looked him over quickly, noticing herself just how much he had changed. He had definately gotten taller, that much was obvious but he was also a lot more muscular, but he also looked much older... And sadder. 

"So you got any plans for the day before we head off to prom?" Pacifica enquired.

"Not really, how about you?"

"Nah, nothing planned. Wanna just hang out for the day then? That is if you wanna" Pacifica suggested

"Sure thing, wanna just drop your bag off in my room first?" 

"Yeah, thanks" 

"Oh my god, the mighty Pacifica Northwest thanking a lowly peasant like Dipper Pines, somebody aleart Toby Determined" Dipper laughed, prompting Pacifica to playfully dig him in the ribs as he picked her bag up and led her inside 

"You're the worst" Pacifica smiled as she followed Dipper upstairs.

Pacifica grinned nervously at the boy who had her arm crooked in his as they walked into the hall where her prom was being held. A collective gasp was heard as Dipper and Pacifica walked in, followed by whispers and glances towards the pair, who were now gripping onto each other tighter, continuing to walk into the hall. 

"Just ignore them" Dipper whispered in Pacifica's ear as he began to lead her in a simple dance. She nodded and smiled up at him, liking the way the dim lighting caught his deep brown eyes, making them shine in the dark. 

"Thank you" She replied, Pacifica took a deep breath and pulled herself closer to Dipper 

"Dipper... I've got something I wanna..." Pacifica began before she was drowned out by the DJ 

"WELL WELL WELL WHERE'S MY PARTY PEOPLE AT?!" The DJ screamed out to the crowd. Upon hearing those words Dipper lost all colour in his face, he let go of Pacifica immediately as he began to sweat, feeling like he was gonna throw up he began to look around for the quickest way to get out of the hall. 

"Dipper, you okay? What's wrong?" Pacifica asked, noticing that something wasn't right. 

"I... I... I... I gotta get out of here" Dipper managed to choke out, before turning around and running out of the nearest exit. 

"DIPPER!" Pacifica called out as she sprinted out and after him. She stopped once outside the hall and looked both ways down the corridor, she heard a faint noise coming from her left hand side, she set off down the corridor. It wasn't long before she found him, sunk down to the floor, his back up against the wall, his knees drawn up to hide his tear stained face. 

"Dipper? What's wrong?" Pacifica asked him, sliding down to sit next to him 

"I... I'm pathetic" Dipper sobbed. 

"What? No you're not! What's brought this on?" 

"Wh... What... The D-D-D-DJ s... Said... Reminded me of... of B- Bill and it brought all of this on!" Dipper replied, lifting his head out of his knees to show Pacifica his face, shining with tracks of tears. 

"You have panic attacks?" Pacifica asked the first question that came to her mind. 

"I suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder" Dipper answered honestly

"What? Why haven't you ever said anything to me?" 

"Because I wasn't really sure if you cared or if you were just being nice because you told us you had nobody else" 

"I care Dipper, I care a hell of a lot." Pacifica whispered to him, putting an arm around his shoulders . She ran her free hand through his hair, trying her best to calm him down. 

"Thank you" Dipper answered back, his voice a little more steady. 

Pacifica sat with Dipper while he calmed down and came out of his panic attack. After a short while, when his breathing returned to normal he looked over at Pacifica. 

"I'm sorry, I guess this has freaked you out just a bit" He apologised 

"Not really, I could have guessed you'd have had some lasting effects after *that* summer, in fact I'd have been more surprised if you never had anything like this" Pacifica answered. Dipper was at a loss for words, he had grown so accustomed to losing people due to his illness he was honestly shocked that somebody outside of his family was ready to stand by him. Let alone somebody that he used to hate with a burning passion. 

"Pacifica... I... I wouldn't blame you if you walked away... I'm fucked up. I'm a mess." Dipper told her. 

"No you're not, you're the sweetest guy that I know. Just look at what you've done for me this weekend when you didn't have to...   
You're a one of a kind person and anybody would be lucky to count you as a friend in life. Don't argue with me on this... Please, at least not now." Pacifica explained to him. 

"You wanted to tell me something earlier?" Dipper asked, reminding her that she was cut off earlier. 

"Oh yeah... I just wanted to tell you that I think I'm falling for you" Pacifica admitted sheepishly 

"You only think? Well that's slightly disappointing considering I have fallen for you" Dipper smiled, Pacifica looked up at him as he closed the space between them and pressing his lips gently against hers. 

Dipper stood around waiting for the bus to take him back home to Piedmont, Pacifica stood by his side, head resting on his shoulder. Soos and Melody stood just behind him. Soos tapped Dipper on the shoulder lightly

"Yeah man?" Dipper answered, turning around to face Soos

"Can I talk to you dude... Alone?" 

"Sure thing" He turned to Pacifica "Be back in a moment" she nodded and let go of his hand so he could follow Soos out of ear shot of the girls 

"What's up man?" 

"I'm gonna ask Melody to marry me..." Soos began

"Holy shit man, that's epic news" Dipper beamed 

"And I just wanted to know... If she said yes... I'd like you to be my best man" Soos finished 

"Oh wow, Soos, man... I'd be honoured" 

"Man you're the best dude" 

Dipper sat across the lunch table from Mabel who was prodding him gently with her fork. 

"C'mon Han Brolo, you've told me nothing about your trip back to Gravity Falls, I want the deets" Mabel pleaded with her brother who was just rolling his eyes at her. 

"Oh fine" Dipper sighed, giving in to his sister's demands. 

"Yay" Mabel beamed gleefully 

"Well... Pacifica found out about my illness and saw me have a panic attack" Dipper admitted

"Oh Shit! Are you okay? How did she react? You all good now?" Mabel asked, knowing her brother might still not be 100% okay. 

"I'm good, honest, and well... I'll show you how she reacted okay?" Dipper questioned, Mabel nodded in agreement. Dipper took out his phone and showed her a text he received from Pacifica that morning.

"Hey Dip. Just reminding you that I think you're amazing and that you should check your mail when you get home. Hope you're feeling better. Love you. Xxxxx" 

"OH MY GOD BROSEPH! ARE YOU TWO TOGETHER!?" Mabel yelled out in delight. 

"Shhhh Mabel... But yeah, we're together." Dipper answered, smiling broadly. 

"AHHH! I'm so happy for you" Mabel laughed, jumping over the lunch table to hug her brother.


End file.
